Fatal Intentions
by Desha
Summary: A woman is obsessed with Reno... Reno suddenly disappears... Hmm... Review please :
1. Part 1

Fatal Intentions  
by Desha 

Note: Inspired by a discussion in my Intro to Psych class... *hopes she kept people in character* Review, please! :) 

Part 1 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

Reno stared down at the note in his hands. Written in elegant, flowing script, each letter of every word was deliberately and perfectly formed with great care, flowery poetic verse sprawled across the lightly perfumed stationary. He could think of only one word to describe it... nauseating. 

"Another one?" a voice behind him asked. Reno turned and found Rude eyeing him from the door. 

"Yeah... The woman cannot take a hint," replied the red-haired Turk, "You'd think we were engaged, the way she sounds in these letters. I mean come on... I never even went out with her. And you know something else? I think she'd been following me. She's conveniently 'run into me' one too many times for it to be coincidence. Last night she just happened to be loitering outside my favorite bar..." 

Rude walked into the room, and waited patiently for Reno to finish his rant, occasionally nodding to show that he was still paying attention. At the same time he had to mentally remind himself not to look too amused, keeping him expression unreadable, him demeanor stoic. When this had all started, it had been somewhat irritating to have to listen to Reno's complaints about the woman who was, as his fellow Turk put it, obsessed with him. Now it had evolved into a running joke, mostly because Rude and Tseng - and especially Elena - found it ironic that for once their womanizing friend was going to great lengths to avoid a member of the opposite sex rather than pursuing her. The notes Reno kept receiving from her only made it all the more interesting, as they often ventured beyond sappy and into the realm of sickeningly sweet. 

"And she's been sending me more than just notes, too," Reno continued, seemingly oblivious to friend's well-hidden amusement, "You don't even want to know what she left outside my door this morning..." 

"Of course we don't want to know... But you're going to tell us anyway, aren't you..." called a new voice from the door of the lounge. Tseng entered the room and strolled casually over to the couch Reno was stretched out on, "I assume we're talking about Miss Rashaad again." 

"Who else?" Rude commented. 

"Well?" Tseng prodded. 

"Well what?" Reno asked, crumpling the note and tossing it across the room. It hit the wall and dropped into the wastebasket below. 

"What did she send you?" asked Tseng. 

"Oh... right," Reno replied, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling something out, "This." 

Tseng couldn't suppress the soft, throaty chuckle that escaped his lips, and even Rude smirked at the sight of the leopard-print thong Reno was holding up. 

"And dare I ask why you're carrying it around in your pocket?" said the Turk leader. 

"Sure... I'm being stalked and all you two can do is laugh," Reno grumbled. 

"It's a harmless crush, Reno - though admittedly, a persistent one. Just tell her that you're not interested," Tseng replied. 

"You think I haven't tried that?" said Reno, glaring at the older man, "Ya know, being irresistible to women has it's downsides..." Any farther comments were forgotten as the door opened a third time, admitting the only female member of the Turks. 

"Hmm... Just so this little gift isn't a total waste..." said Reno, and he stretched the waistband of the underwear, taking aim and sling-shotting it at Elena. He grinned sadistically when it hit its target... Elena, on the other hand, squealed in disgust and threw the offending garment to the floor. 

"Reno! You're suppose to wash your laundry... Not use it as ammunition!" she cried. 

"I claim no ownership of *that*," Reno replied. Elena glanced at the other two Turks. 

"Is this about that Taina woman again?" she asked, ignoring the glare her question received from Reno. 

"Don't you people understand? She's nuts... Obsessed!" Reno stated, and Rude could tell another "That woman..." rant was on its way. Who knew a sweet little secretary could has such an effect on the usually laid-back lady's man? Though he had to admit, some of the note the fiery young Turk had shown him had bordered on creepy. Still, Rude suspected that what really bothered Reno about Taina Rashaad was the fact that for once he was the prey instead of the predator. Well, that and the fact that Taina seemed to be effectively keeping all other prospective dates away from Reno, claiming him as her own. 

"Fine... If none of you are gonna take this seriously, I'm outta here," Reno grumbled, "I'm going to lunch." 

'Translation, I'm going to the nearest bar..." Rude thought, recognizing Reno's tone of voice, and suddenly realized that he'd tuned the younger man out completely. He watched Reno storm out of the room, slamming the door behind him. 

"..." 

"Well, someone's certainly in a bad mood today," Elena commented, staring after Reno. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

The Phoenix Inn was empty save for a few ever-present drunks passed out at the bar. The thick cloud of cigarette smoke that usually hung in the air was nothing more than a stale odor left over from the previous night. But then, it was still early. The dim lighting lent the large room a comfortable atmosphere, though the unusual quiet seemed almost blasphemous to a place that, at night, was so crowded and noisy a person had to shout to carry on a conversation. A radio droned softly at one end of the bar, spewing out a country-western song... something about a dead dog and a pick-up truck, cheating women and shotguns. 

'Why do all these damn songs sound the same?' Reno mused as he plopped down on a barstool as far from the radio as he could get. "Mornin' Angie," he drawled, flashing the bartender a half-hearted grin. 

"Don'tcha think it's a little early, Reno? Even for you?" the plump woman replied, looking the redhead over with an appraising eye. As much trouble as the Turk could be, she liked him... mostly because he always paid his tab... and the cost of any damages his drunken escapades caused to her bar. That was a lot more than she could say for some of her customers. Besides which, having a Turk as a regular customer deterred some of the worst of the bar-crawlers from causing her too much trouble. 

"Figured I get a headstart," he replied, "Gimme my usual." 

"Why the mid-morning binge?" Angie asked conversationally, pouring the drink, "Shouldn't you be working... as I assume Rude is? What brings ya to my doorstep, hmm?" 

"Reno! Hi!" The high-pitched voice pierced the air like a knife. Reno groaned. 

"That's what," he muttered, not turning around in the hopes that the owner to the voice would just go away. Naturally, he had no such luck. A pair of arms wrapped around his torso and the person behind him planted a quick kiss on his cheek. 

"Taina, for the last time, leave me alone," Reno hissed through clenched teeth. 

"Oh you're silly... Why would I do that?" she asked, plucking the glass from his hand, and darting back a step. Reno sighed and spun around to face her, more annoyed than he'd been all day, if that was possible. 

"What do you want, Taina?" he muttered, eyeing his drink. 

"I want to talk about our anniversary." 

"What?!" he exclaimed, nearly falling off the barstool in his scramble to get to his feet, "That's it... Taina, I'm not interested in you, I've never been interested in you, and there is no anniversary for us to talk about! Now will you *please* stop this?!" 

"Well fine then," she said, handing him back his glass, "I suppose we can wait til tonight to talk... You really should be at work anyway. Drinking so early in the day isn't good for a person." 

She kissed him again and practically skipped out of the bar. Reno watched her go in silent disbelief... The woman was nuts. 

"That girl is definitely not quite right in the head," Angie commented. 

Reno downed his drink in one gulp and set the glass on the bar. "Glad someone agrees with me..." he replied, repressing a frustrated sigh, "See ya Angie." 

He headed for the door, wondering if he'd missed anything while he'd been gone. He doubted it. Until he had to leave for Junon with Elena, there probably wouldn't be much for him to do... aside from the pile of reports he'd been putting off filing for the last week, that is. As he stepped onto the street, he paused, raising a hand to his temple as his head spun slightly. He blinked once, trying to clear his suddenly blurred vision. The dizziness only worsened as he staggered a few steps forward, leaning against the outer wall of the building for support, and ignoring the looks he received from the few passers-by, fairly certain that they simply regarded him as nothing more than a drunk, at last collapsing to his knees as the strange feeling of vertigo claimed him. The last thing he saw was Taina's face as she stooped to look him in the eyes. He thought she said something, but he was too far gone to make it out, and then everything went dark. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Where's Reno? He and Elena were supposed to leave for Junon nearly an hour ago," Tseng said, clearly more than a little irritated by the young Turk's absence. Rude frowned. 

"I haven't seen him..." 

"If he's passed out in a bar somewhere, I swear..." Tseng began, before forcing himself to stop and take a deep breath. Regaining his hold on his composure, he continued, "He knew I was sending him with Elena..." 

"..." 

"I'll just have to go with her myself," Tseng sighed, knowing full well that Rude was busy with his own assignment to accompany the newest addition to their ranks, "When you see Reno, tell him that I plan to have a very long talk with him when I return." 

Rude nodded his understanding. A part of him felt sorry for Reno... Being on the receiving end of a reprimand from Tseng was not exactly a pleasant experience... A physical beating probably would have been almost fun in comparison. The Turk leader had a way of speaking that could make a person feel very small and very helpless... and moreover, very sorry they'd ever upset him. And yet his voice never rose above it's usual calm tone... dangerously calm, you could call it. It was more mentally draining than anything else, and of course there was always the ever-present fact that Tseng knew more ways to kill a man that he could count. On more than one occasion, Rude had seen Reno walking out of Tseng's office, usually looking a shade or two paler than when he'd gone in. Rude himself had been in that position - though not as often as Reno... and clearly one never got used to it - and had probably been in much the same state when it was over. 

On the other hand, Reno had brought it on himself. Rude couldn't blame Tseng for being angry... it was an annoying inconvenience. He watched as Tseng left for the helipad. Only someone as close to the man as a fellow Turk would have noticed the frustrated, almost malevolent look in his eyes that the Turk leader was so careful to conceal behind a calm and collected exterior. 

'Good thing he'll have time to cool down before Reno has to deal with him,' Rude noted. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

Reno groaned softly and tried to ignore the painful throbbing that radiated through his skull, blinking back the grogginess he felt and trying to figure out where the hell he was... and for that mater, how he'd gotten there. The air around him seemed thick... viscous... as he lifted his head. His vision was blurred and he felt as though all of his energy had been leeched right out of him. 

"Oh! You're awake!" 

The voice, cheerful and feminine, seemed to come from a million miles away, and Reno forced his gaze to shift in the direction of the sound. The outline of a person stood in the doorway. 

"Now I know you're not feeling your best right now... but this was the only way I could get you to come home. You're always so busy at work... And today is so very special!" 

'Taina?" he thought, trying to form the word, but no sound came out. He throat was so very dry... 

"Don't you worry... By tonight you'll be just fine. Everything will be just fine," she added, sauntering up to him and kissing him lightly. 

'Tonight?' His dazed mind fought to make sense of Taina's words, as she left the room, closing the door behind her. But his brain seemed to be temporarily out of order. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Reno? Call me," Rude said into the phone. That was the third message he'd left on Reno's answering machine today. He sighed and hung up. There had been no word from his friend since that morning. As soon as he'd gotten off work, Rude had stopped at all of Reno's favorite bars, but the young Turk was nowhere to be found. The only person he'd talked to who'd even seen Reno all day was Angie, the owner of the Phoenix Inn... but she said he'd left hours ago... right after a young lady had come in, bothering him. Rude had a pretty good idea who that had been. He flipped through the directory of employee phone numbers, quickly locating Taina Rashaad's number and dialing, on the off-chance that Reno had gone somewhere with her for whatever reason. She picked up on the second ring. 

"Hello?" the annoyingly cheerful voice answered. 

"Miss Rashaad? My name is Rude. I'm looking for a friend of mine... Reno..." 

"Oh, oh! Rude? You work with Reno, don't you? How nice... You're so lucky to be able to spend so much time with him. He's such a wonderful man..." she replied, evading the question, and rambling on with no end in sight. Rude could see why the woman so annoyed Reno. 

"Have you seen him today?" he asked, having no alternative but to interrupt her. 

"Well, I saw him this morning... at the Phoenix Inn," she replied. 

"Do you know where he is now?" 

"No... I haven't seen him since this morning. He didn't seem to be in the best of moods. In fact, he was downright irritable... Oh, but why do you ask? He's alright, isn't he?" 

"He's missing," Rude stated, deciding it was best to give no farther details on the matter. 

"Oh dear..." said Taina, "You don't think something's happened to him, do you? I couldn't bear the thought of losing my Reno..." 

"I'm sure he's fine... Thanks anyway." 

"Oh... Well, goodbye then. Do call me as soon as you hear from him..." 

"..." Rude quickly hung up the phone. He'd looked everywhere he could think of, and turned up nothing but one dead end after another. Even Reno's PHS was of no help... He'd left it in the lounge when he'd stormed off that morning. For lack of any better ideas, Rude decided to make one last sweep of the bars... 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

Tseng was in a bad mood. He had been ever since he'd left for Junon, and Elena didn't like it. She certainly didn't even Reno right now, and she was more than a little annoyed with him herself at this point... always telling her she was weak and that she talked too much - she'd even heard someone say that Reno'd accused her of being an airhead, though she didn't have any way to confirm it - and here he'd just up and disappeared, completely ignoring his job... and while she'd gotten to spend a good deal of time with Tseng instead of the egotistical redhead, the black cloud that seemed to hang over the man had ruined any chance of getting to know him better on this little mission. It had been all business, even after everything had been taken care of. The two Turks sat in awkward silence... awkward for Elena at any rate. Tseng seemed to be absorbed in his own thought, probably mentally rehearsing the dressing-down he was going to give Reno the next time he saw him. Elena gazed out of the Plexiglas window of the helicopter, watching the ground below as they flew over it, back to Midgar. 

Thankfully, they soon arrived at their destination, the helicopter setting down with a soft bump on the roof of the Shin-Ra building. Tseng climbed out, offering his hand to Elena to help her down - partly out of courtesy, and partly to make up for the less-than-pleasant company he must have been - which she eagerly accepted. The two of them headed for the elevator, descending into the building in search of Reno and Rude. They found Rude alone in the Turk's private lounge, looking somewhat tired and a bit more rumpled than usual. 

"Where's Reno?" Tseng asked. 

"Don't know," Rude replied, raising his sunglasses to rub his eyes. 

"You don't know? How can you not know? You must have seen him at some point in the last twenty four hours," Tseng hissed. Rude shook his head. 

"No one knows where he is. I was out all night looking," said Rude. The unexpected information took a moment to sink in, and Tseng blinked in uncharacteristic surprise. 

"I want him found," he said at last, his prior annoyance now replaced with concern. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

'Not good,' Reno commented mentally, his mind finally clear enough to form and process a coherent thought... though all he'd been able to figure out with any certainty was that Taina had been the one who'd brought him here - wherever here was - and that she must have drugged him in order to do it. He had to get out. 

He dragged himself slowly to the edge of the bed he lay on, he body unwilling to do what he wanted it to, and tumbled gracelessly onto the floor. Unable to get to his feet, he crawled toward the door, and with much effort managed to get it open. He found a modestly decorated living room on the other side and across the living room, another door. Reno crept toward it, hoping Taina was busy somewhere else so he'd have time to escape. As he worked his way across the thick carpeting, he suddenly came across a phone cord. 

'Rude...' he thought, following the cord and locating the phone... He searched his mind for his fellow Turk's PHS number, dialing slowly, having to focus all of his concentration on that normally simple task, and sighing in relief at the sound of ringing on the other end of the line. 

"Rude here..." came the reply. Reno clutched the phone like a lifeline, desperate to tell him that Taina had him... that he'd been kidnapped and that he was too drugged up to do anything about it... 

"Rude... help..." was all he could manage. The phone was suddenly plucked from his hand and hung up. 

"Ah, ah ah... Naughty, naughty... I think you need a little something to make you behave..." 

Reno's body was propped up and the rim of a glass pressed to his lips. 

"Now drink up," Taina cooed. She tilted the glass and Reno had no choice but to swallow its contents or choke. A moment later, he was on distantly aware of someone dragging him across the carpet, back to the room he'd just escaped from. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Reno?" There was no reply, and a few seconds later, the connection was cut off. The plaintive words repeated themselves in him mind as he tucked the PHS back into his pocket. 

"He just said... 'Help'..." Rude said in answer to Tseng's questioning gaze. But what concerned him more was the way he'd said it... somewhat slurred and with a barely restrained desperation... and very un-Reno like. A frown etched its way across Tseng's features, mirroring the expression on Rude's face. 

"What are we going to do?" asked Elena breaking the brief silence and voicing the question that was on all of their minds, "We don't even know where to start looking. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Oh sweetheart... We're going to be so happy now..." Taina whispered, "Just you and me... forever... Like it was always meant to be..." 

She hummed softly to herself as she unbuttoned Reno's shirt, easing it off and trailing a hand over the pale skin beneath. 

"Just have to get you dressed and ready for tonight," she said, oblivious to the fact that the young Turk was still heavily sedated. She tossed the shirt onto the floor, alongside the rest of his uniform before removing a fresh set of clothes from the closet. Reno remained about as responsive as a rag doll as Taina carefully redressed him. She took special care with the tie, making sure it was straight. Her fingers slid around to the back of his neck, loosening and removing the band that held back his long red hair, before retrieving a brush from the nightstand. She brushed it until it was smooth and silky, every last one of the stray lock neatly in it's proper place, and then tied it back into a ponytail, stroking her fingers down it in a gentle caress. 

~*end part 1*~ 


	2. Part 2

Fatal Intentions  
by Desha 

Part 2 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"You said Taina Rashaad saw him before he disappeared... And the bartender at the Phoenix Inn as well?" Tseng reiterated. For the last ten minutes Rude had been relating the details of his night-long search to Tseng and Elena. He nodded slightly in confirmation. 

"Elena... I want you to find out where in the building Miss Rashaad works and talk to her. Find out what she and Reno spoke about, and if she saw anything unusual," said Tseng, "Rude and I are going to the Phoenix Inn." 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

It was just after noon, and the Phoenix Inn was catering to a fair-sized lunch crowd as Rude and Tseng stepped inside, met by the sounds of loud conversations. A middle-aged woman was busily at work behind the bar, her dingy blond hair held back by a red bandanna, plump hands expertly pouring and serving drinks. The two Turks walked up to the bar. 

"Be with ya in a sec, fellas," the bartender said as she caught sight of Rude, and handed a tray laden with glasses and bottles to a young waitress. She turned back, smiling broadly at the bald Turk. 

"Well, hey there, Rude... I hope Reno didn't get into any trouble last night. You find him alright?" she asked. 

"He's still missing, Angie," Rude replied. The woman's smile faded. 

"Still? Damn... Well, I guess this ain't a social call then. What can I do for ya?" 

"You were one of the last people known to have seen him," said Tseng, "We need to know everything that happened yesterday morning while Reno was here." 

"Alrighty... Let's step into the back room... Quieter in there," said Angie. She led them through a door behind the bar, and into a storage room, "Well let's see... Reno came in long before my usual lunch crowd... I don't usually see him so early in the day, so I thought it was a little odd... 'course with Reno, ya never know. Anyway, he orders a drink, and we chat a little, and then this lady comes in and its pretty obvious Reno don't wanna talk to her. She grabs his drink kinda like she's teasin' him and then starts goin' on about their anniversary. And that just sets Reno off... Jumped up and told her to just leave him the hell alone. So she gives him back his drink and says they can talk about it that night... Didn't seem to understand that he didn't want nothin' to do with her. Then she skips off, happy as can be." 

"Did anyone else show up to talk to Reno?" asked Tseng. 

"Nope... Wouldn't have had a chance to... He finished his drink off quick-like and headed out," Angie replied. Tseng's PHS chose that exact moment to ring. The bartender obligingly waved him off to answer it, and turned to Rude. 

"I hope Reno's alright... He's a real piece of work sometimes, but I can think of a lot of people worse than him to have around here," she commented. Rude nodded. 

"Rude... That was Elena. It seems Miss Rashaad didn't show up for work today," said Tseng, returning the PHS to his pocket, "She's headed to the woman's apartment now... We're going to meet her there." 

They thanked the bartender for her help and headed off to meet up with Elena. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Not much farther now..." Taina said, looking briefly into the backseat of her car at the sleeping Turk. She smiled to herself. It was such a special night... Their anniversary. She couldn't help but marvel at how handsome Reno looked... 

'Alan,' she corrected herself, 'My Alan...' 

She navigated the familiar route across the Plate with ease, occasionally glancing at the small leather case on the seat beside her, smiling at the knowledge of what was inside... the key to her eternity with her beloved. Just her and Reno... 

"Alan," she said softly, "Not Reno..." 

He'd come back to her at last and this time she'd make sure nothing could tear them apart... 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

The door hadn't been locked. In fact, it hadn't even been closed all the way, as Tseng found out when he knocked. The door swung open, as if inviting them in. From the hallway they could see the interior of the neatly kept apartment. Tseng went in first, gun drawn, eyeing the room with suspicion. Something wasn't right about this. Rude followed close behind while Elena kept watch in the hall. 

"Check the bedroom," said Tseng. Rude silently complied while Tseng went through the rest of the apartment. He flipped on the lights, looking over the bedroom, seeing nothing out of the ordinary... until a pile of familiar dark blue fabric caught his eye, that it. He lifted the clothing from the floor, his suspicions confirmed. It was Reno's uniform. His mind ran through the possibilities implied by such a find as he returned to the living room to inform Tseng. 

"Reno was here," said Rude. Tseng glanced at the jacket draped over Rude's arm and handed him a photograph encased in a silver frame. 

"Look familiar?" the Turk leader asked. Rude studied the picture for a moment. It was a wedding photo, with the bride looking resplendent in white flowing satin and lace, surrounded by bridesmaids, flower girls, and the like, her hands resting demurely on the arm of her new husband. Rude blinked and lifted his sunglasses, not sure he believed his own eyes. The groom stood happily among his wife's attendants, jade-green eyes alight with the excitement of new beginnings, his rust-colored hair standing out sharply against the whites and pastels of the women's dresses. As he looked closer, it was clear that the man in the picture was not Reno... though there was a definite similarity in appearance. 

"..." 

"I think we'd better see what we can find out about Miss Taina Rashaad..." said Tseng. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

Rude and Tseng had remained behind to continue looking for clues as to where Taina and the missing Turk may have disappeared to. Elena had been sent back to the Shin-Ra building in the hopes of finding something of interest in the employee records and background files. While her two fellow Turks were busy combing through the apartment and questioning neighbors, Elena found herself sitting in front of a computer, skimming through the standard files that Shin-Ra, Inc. meticulously kept on every employee ranging from maintenance staff to departments head. 

Tseng had specifically asked her to find whatever she could about Taina's apparent husband, and after seeing the picture he and Rude had found, she could understand why. She quickly found the file she was looking for. 

"Marital status... Single?" she wondered aloud. That was strange... Not married... not divorced... but single. But Elena had seen the wedding picture herself. She leaned back in her chair, having hit a dead end. Maybe Taina had lied when she'd applied for the secretarial job. But if that was the case, why did she do it? And where was her husband? 

It suddenly occurred to her that Taina's husband might have worked for Shin-Ra at some point as well. She modified her search, excluding Taina's first name, hoping that the woman still used her married name. 

"Rashaad, Alan," she read as the computer returned the results. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Yes sir, according to this, she was married to a man named Alan Rashaad, who was killed last year," said Elena, cradling the PHS against one shoulder as she searched for more references to Taina's husband, "In fact, he died exactly one year ago today..." 

"That must have been what she meant by 'anniversary', the Turk leader mused, "Do the records indicate how he died? And more importantly, where?" 

"Yes sir... The file says that he and Taina were robbed on the street. Her husband was shot in the process. He died instantly," Elena responded, "It happened near 42nd street and 7th." 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

_ The end of a perfect night... dinner over candlelight, dancing... the music could still be heard from the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. His arms snaked around her shoulders, possessively pulling her against his tall, lean frame, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. _

"What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful man in my life?" she asked. He grinned widely and kissed the top of her head. 

"Wonderful? You got another guy you're not telling me about hidden somewhere?" he replied, the laughter in his eyes discrediting his mock-serious tone. She batted at him playfully. 

"Oh, you... Aren't you serious about anything?" 

"Only you," he stated, sweeping her into his arms and spinning her around. 

"How sweet... Ain't that just sweet?" came the snide comment from the shadows of an alleyway. 

"Just the sweetest," replied a second voice. Two bodies emerged from the concealing darkness, and she saw the glint of a pistol in the light of the mako-powered streetlamps. 

"What do you want?" her husband asked, pushing her behind him. 

"Oh, the usual... Money. Or we could just take your pretty little date..." 

She heard the click of the gun being cocked. It seemed to happen all too fast. The demand, the refusal... the gunshot, the sound of which reverberated in her ears as she watched him crumple to the ground... then loud footsteps running, retreating into the alley, and she was alone. 

"Alan? Alan, please... no..." she sobbed, on her knees beside his motionless form. A pool of red seeped out from under him, creeping toward her, staining the hem of her dress. Tears found their way down her cheeks as she cradled him in her arms, and she screamed... a long, anguished cry that might well have been heard throughout Midgar. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"We're here..." Taina's melodious voice sang out to the half-conscious Turk. She smiled and glanced back at his as she stopped the car on the nearly deserted street. The hour was not so late, but this wasn't one of the more popular areas of Midgar when it came to the local nightlife. Only the occasional couple, absorbed in each other's loving gaze, could be seen entering and leaving the single restaurant farther down the mako-lit street. Reno struggled to concentrate through his clouded mind, not quite able to grasp what was going on. He felt strangely detached from his body and at the same time, trapped within it, unable to move. Taina reached for the leather case on the seat beside her, clutching it to her chest as she climbed out of the car. 

"Come along, Alan," she said gleefully, pulling open the back door of the car and sliding her arms around Reno from behind, clasping her hands against his chest as she dragged him from the car, "It's our anniversary..." 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

The location Elena had given them was on the opposite side of the city... and worse, they had no idea how long a headstart Taina had on them. But more disturbing was the fact that they didn't know for certain what the woman was capable of. All of her records seemed to indicate that she was harmless... no criminal record, a model employee... and yet she'd not only managed to kidnap someone, but that someone just happened to be a Turk. Rude had his suspicions as to how she'd accomplished that... his mind drifted back to Reno's phone call. His words had been slurred... forced, as though it took a considerable amount of effort to utter them. He'd been drugged... probably very heavily, given Reno's tolerance to such things. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

Reno's shoes scraped harshly over the concrete as his petite abductor dragged him awkwardly across the sidewalk. The streelamp that glared down on his seemed to waiver and he blinked, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and then staring up at the light again, once, twice, three times before he was finally able to focus his vision. 

"Where...?" His voice was barely a whisper. His tongue felt thick and swollen, his throat dry. 

"You remember, don't you Alan? You brought me here one year ago tonight... But they took you away from me and left me here all alone. I couldn't go with you then, but I can now... We're together, Alan, and I'm going to make sure that we never have to be apart again..." 

The streetlamp was only a pinpoint of light in the darkness now, as shadows surrounded him. The walls of adjacent buildings loomed up in claustrophobic closeness, and at last Taina let him slide limply to the ground. 

He had only a brief moment to ask himself 'Who in the hell is Alan?' before she was suddenly crouched beside him, tenderly stroking her hand along his cheek. 

"I felt as though I died that day... But then one morning, I woke up and I realized that if I could just find you again, I could join you," she said. 

'This can't be a good sign,' Reno thought as he listened with morbid fascination. He silently willed his body to move, straining against uncooperative muscles. He thought about trying to reason with her before she could do something foolish, but by the look in her eyes, he had a feeling that it would be a futile effort. It was then that he noticed the small leather case that rested on the ground beside Taina. While she continued to speak, he slowly stretched an arm toward it, in the process discovering that moving was gradually becoming easier. Apparently, whatever she'd drugged him with was beginning to wear off again. His fingers reached the case and Taina didn't seem to notice until he'd opened it. 

"You always were the impatient one, weren't you?" she said with a hint of laughter, "But you're right... We shouldn't wait any longer." 

Her hand swept over his, brushing his fingertips as she drew an object out of the case. Even in the dimly-lit alleyway, Reno could recognize the familiar shape clutched in Taina's grip. 

"Taina... Put it down," he said, his voice still raspy with the lingering effects of the drug. He tried to scuttle backwards, without mush luck, realizing that there was no cover for him, and if she really intended to shoot him, he wouldn't be a difficult target to hit in his present state. 

"First you... and then me. And then we'll be together forever," she said as she level the barrel of the gun at his head, "I love you Alan." 

He'd always been well aware of the fact that Turks generally didn't live long enough to retire... Still, he'd never imagined that he'd be done in by some nutty woman who called him Alan and said she loved him. It felt almost... pathetic. And that was probably why he flinch at the sound of the gunshot, eyes closing reflexively, as he wondered why it hadn't hurt... and then snapping open again as a second shot echoed sharply in the alley. The searingly familiar pain of metal piercing flesh suddenly registered, and either out of shock or stubborn pride, he didn't cry out, even as he could smell the thick, coppery scent of his own blood. He watched Taina, he shoulder spattered with bright crimson, as she looked toward the end of the alley in surprise. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

The shot had only been meant to wound, but Tseng silently cursed himself as he realized that the woman wasn't going to give up so easily. He and Rude had arrived just in time to find Reno on the ground, the deluded woman holding a gun on him, and Tseng had decided to adhere to the old cliche of 'shoot first and ask questions later'. And so he'd fired... a Turks version of a warning, aiming for her shoulder rather than a more potentially fatal target... but it had only served to throw off her aim, causing her to shoot the red-haired Turk in the abdomen instead of the head. 

Taina still held the gun on Reno, seemingly uncaring of the presence of the two interlopers at the entrance of the alley, and she raised the barrel again to finish what she'd started. But Tseng and Rude was faster. Two nearly simultaneous shots sounded from their end of the alley, and Taina dropped to the ground, her own weapon slipping from her fingers, clattering against the pavement. A brief glance at the woman told them that she was no longer a threat to anyone, and they hurried to tend to their wounded friend. 

"I told you she was nuts," Reno said weakly. He still felt groggy from the drug - or maybe from the blood loss - but at the moment, he was grateful for that. It dulled the pain of his injury. Rude folded his jacket and placed it under Reno's head while they waited for the help Elena had been ordered to send, as the injured man slipped into unconsciousness. 

*~*~*~*~*~* 

Reno awoke to a world of white... found himself staring up at the numerous ceiling tiles, nearly gagging as the unnatural cleanliness of the room registered suddenly in his mind. The air was heavy with the oppressively sterile odor that was unique to hospitals. The incessant beep of the machines monitoring his breathing, and heartbeat, and god only knew what else, was the only sound in the half-lit room, and the Turk briefly considered removing a few of the electrodes and such that connected his body to the monitors, a mischievous smile turning up the corners of his mouth at the thought of the momentary chaos that would cause amongst the staff. The idea faded for the time being, however, as the reality of his present condition set in, memories of the alleyway returning as his hand tentatively explored the bandages that concealed what was probably a very nasty wound. 

"Four hours." 

Reno eyes turned toward the source of the sudden statement in confusion, searching on the low light and locking on the familiar figure of Tseng standing against the far wall. 

"You were in surgery for four hours," he clarified. Reno propped himself up on an elbow to better see the man. 

"Hope you guys were all appropriately worried about me and overcome with guilt for not taking me seriously about Taina," Reno replied, trying to laugh off the grave nature of recent events. Tseng only nodded, and Reno could see that there was indeed a certain amount of guilt involved. 

"So... Any idea what this whole mess was about?" Reno asked. 

"Yes. But get some rest, for now, Reno," said Tseng, "There will be plenty of time to fill you in on the details." 

"Yeah, ok..." He had to admit, he wasn't really much in the mood for a debriefing right now anyway. He watched as Tseng took his leave, shutting the door soundlessly behind him. 

For awhile, he simply lay in bed, letting thoughts drift through his mind at random, inevitably turning to Taina, and how close she'd come to taking him out... considered what a pathetic way for a Turk to die that would have been... wondered why she'd wanted him dead in the first place. And eventually, he came to the conclusion that he'd have to get the answers to his questions from Tseng. He forcibly shoved the thoughts from his mind, seeking a distraction, unwilling to be tormented the rest of the moment by questions that, for the moments at least, he couldn't answer. 

He turned instead to considering just how suffocatingly sterile hospital rooms really were. He hated it... always had, and no amount of time spent in one would ever make him get used to the feeling. It would always feel like a white, perfectly germ-free prison. Reno found that his distraction was no better than his previous thoughts... if anything, it was worse. 

He glanced down at the clip on his left index finger, and the wires running from it into the machine by his bed, turning his steady heartbeat into a series of soft electronic beeps. His previous grin returned as he "accidentally" nudged the clip off, watching the monitor flatline, and listened to the sudden, frantic scurry of medical personnel somewhere down the hall. 

*~fin~* 


End file.
